QP Wednesday: Bélanger takes the Speaker's chair

Liberal MP Mauril Belanger gives a thumbs-up as he sits in the Speaker's Chair to preside over the House of Commons Wednesday, serving as honorary Speaker, in a tribute organized by his fellow MPs following his diagnosis with ALS last November, in Ottawa Wednesday March 9, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand

Ottawa-Vanier MP Mauril Bélanger, whose diagnosis with ALS last year prevented him from running for Speaker of the House, fulfilled his wish in an honorary capacity today. Bélanger walked in the Speaker’s Parade with his colleagues and friends lining the halls leading to the Commons Chamber, where he then presided over the national anthem, statements by members — and took the first round of questions during question period using a tablet as a speaking aid.

Belanger had wanted to be Speaker but in a cruel twist of irony, at the end of the fall 2015 election campaign, his voice started to fail and he was diagnosed with the incurable amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease). Today, that irony was reversed as he assumed the role with an outpouring of support.

Thunderous applause in the House of Commons as Mauril Belanger takes the Chair as Speaker #cdnpoli

Bloc MP Louis Plamondon stood up to say it was an honour to call him Mr. Speaker, and saluted Bélanger’s “indefatigable commitment” to his constituents and Francophones everywhere. Earlier in the day, his colleagues also spoke kind words, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called him a dear friend who is “a credit to everyone who has walked through this place and worked in this place.”

Lead question and answer

Conservative Party interim leader Rona Ambrose told Belanger that he looks “great up there,” and has quickly achieved “what many Speakers dream of: a well-behaved chamber.”

She then spoke in favour of the Ice-bucket challenge and asked the Prime Minister to join in organizations fighting ALS. As Trudeau spoke about Bélanger’s battle against ALS, calling it a terrible disease, the House rose in one of many standing ovations, and Bélanger wiped his eyes with a black cloth. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair then spoke in favour of Bélanger’s work on improving francophone services. Bélanger thanked the House for allowing him to sit as Speaker and the Prime Minister patted him on the back as he exited the Chamber.

Dominant topic

With Geoff Regan back in the chair, the economy and the Prime Minister’s impending Washington trip largely dominated question period. Ambrose slammed Trudeau for visiting his “pals at the Centre for American Progress” — a liberal Washington think-tank — saying that energy workers will continue to lose jobs as they watch him sip champagne. She called on him to use his new relationship with the U.S. to ask President Obama to reverse the decision on Keystone.

The Prime Minister replied that “for ten years those relationships have been strained, and now we’re pleased to re-engage on a broad range of important files” with the U.S.

Ambrose said that here at home, meanwhile, the finance minister is intent to rack up the bills, pointing to a TD report saying the government is on track to run $150 billion in deficits over the next five years, and asked why the government is determined to bury Canadians in debt.

Trudeau again reached back over the last ten years and said the previous government was intent to give tax benefits to the wealthiest Canadians. That exchange continued on later between Conservative Diane Finley and Liberal François-Philippe Champagne.

Newsmaking exchange

The Conservatives and NDP took aim from different angles at the Liberals over the Canadian Aerospace industry.

Conserative Maxime Bernier, who Tuesday moved a motion which would force industry committee to call Bombardier representatives to testify, asked the committee chair why the Liberals unanimously voted it down and why they are “preventing Bombardier from appearing in front of Parliamentarians?”

Industry Minister Navdeep Bains responded, instead, saying that committees are independent and the government understands the importance of the aerospace sector.

The federal government has been considering whether to follow Quebec’s lead in bailing out Bombardier over its troubled C-Series line of jets. Asking again for the chair to respond at the end of Question Period, Bernier was left unanswered before the House moved to vote down a Conservative motion calling on the government to expand Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport — an action which is believed would help Bombardier sell its CSeries.

Meanwhile, NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice said that “the sector is fragile and job losses are growing,” and asked when the government will come up with a “real plan” for the aerospace sector.

Bains replied the government is doing its homework on Bombardier and any decision made “will be in the best interests of Canadians and Quebecers.”

Odd Exchange

Conservative MP Alupa Clarke said the Conservative government has done more for veterans than any Canadian government since 1919, and said the Liberal government had canceled the assistance program for memorials in communities, showing it is not committed to honouring veterans.

Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr replied with something halfway between a zinger and a below-the-belt blow. He said there’s a saying where he comes from: “you lie to your friends, I’ll lie to my friends, let’s not lie to each other.” He then said the Conservatives’ record on veterans in the past decade has been a shame.

Speaker Regan said he knows that the “honorable minister did not accuse another member of lying,” but stated that came “a little too close” for his liking and encouraged other members “not to use that kind of language.”